The UK is stuck with a hung parliament as Theresa May’s gamble on a snap general election backfired in spectacular fashion.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn last night claimed to have changed the face of British politics “for the better” after Labour exceeded all epectations although neither of the UK’s biggest parties secured a majority.

A Unionist surge in Scotland wiped out 21 SNP MPs including former party leader Alex Salmond as the Tories claimed “IndyRef2 is dead” as voters vented their anger at plans for a second referendum by turning to the Conservatives.

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Ruth Davidson’s party took Salmond’s Gordon seat and claimed another high profile scalp in the form of SNP deputy leader Angus Robertson in Moray.

Newly elected Scottish Tories could prove decisive in the final outcome after they picked up seats in the Scottish Borders, across Aberdeenshire, in Stirlingshire and in Banff and Buchan.

In Scotland the SNP had 35 seats, the Tories 13, Labour 7 and the Lib Dems 4.

With a few results still to come in the rest of the UK, the Tories look set to have 318 seats – eight short of a majority. If they want to form a government they will have to look to the support of the 10 Unionist MPs in Northern Ireland.

However, May might not be the one doing the deal as she could well be ditched as Tory leader in light of her disastrous gamble of calling a snap election.

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The Tories are expected to have 318 seats to Labour's 262, up 30 on their 2015 performance and with the 14 Lib Dems unlikely to enter a coalition due to their anti-Brexit stance, the Conservatives will have to rely on Northern Irish DUP MPs to win votes in the House of Commons.

With such uncertainty as Britain heads into Brexit negotiations, the electorate could face a quick return to the polls and the Tory party will immediately put the blame at May’s feet.

The untested leader, who put herself at the centre of her “strong and stable” campaign which descended into a shambolic six weeks, staggered over the finishing line last night.

A visibly shaken May told her Maidenhead election count that the country needed “a period of stability” so “that we can all as one country go forward together”.

Jeremy Corbyn has called on Theresa May to resign (Image: Neil Hall)

Signalling that she might not remain as PM, May added: “If, as the indications have shown, the Conservative party has won most seats and the most votes it would be incumbent upon us to ensure we have that period of stability and that is exactly what we will do.”

While May looks fatally wounded the SNP were also left to lick their wounds in Scotland.

They were routed in their old rural heartlands where First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's decision to push for a second referendum was made a central part of the Unionist parties’ campaigns.

The First Minister said she would not make any “rash decisions” but pledged to “properly think about” whether to press ahead with her campaign for another vote.

The SNP suffered substantial losses (Image: Getty)

She insisted the SNP had won the election in Scotland as it had got the most seats but admitted she was “disappointed” by the party’s losses amid a fierce public backlash against her referendum plans.

But Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said the referendum had been killed off by results and Sturgeon had been punished for trying to ram through another vote.

She said: “IndyRef2 is dead in Scotland and Nicola Sturgeon needs to reflect on that.”

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Scottish Labour also enjoyed an unexpectedly successful night - winning seven seats - up from just one in 2015.

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Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: “We’ve got a fantastic new generation of MPs going to the House of Commons.

“They’re going to be champions for their local communities, they’re going to be opposed to a second independence referendum, and they’re also going to be for Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-austerity platform and for raising investment in our public services. I’m hugely encouraged by results across the country tonight.”

Davidson said: “We had a really clear message at this campaign about the big issue in Scotland right now and that was Nicola Sturgeon’s trying to ram through a second referendum in March.

Former Lib-Dem leader Nick Clegg also lost his seat (Image: PA)

“Theresa May was absolutely right to tell her not now and the people of Scotland were able to give their verdict on that. We have seen the number of SNP seats slashed.

The Lib Dems also made progress, picking up seats in East Dunbartonshire, Edinburgh West and Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.

But there was woe for Liberal Democrats down south as former deputy prime minister and ex-leader Nick Clegg went down to defeat in Sheffield Hallam.

The ex-Liberal Democrat leader lost to Labour rival Jared O’Mara, who took Sheffield Hallam with 21,881 votes to Clegg’s 19,756.

Meanwhile, Corbyn was delighted with Labour’s showing which defied the odds and the ferocious personal attacks of the Tory press.

Angus Robertson lost his Moray seat (Image: AFP/Getty)

Corbyn said Labour’s campaign has changed politics for the better.

After his party’s strong showing against the odds he called for Theresa May to resign.

He said: “The Prime Minister called the election because she wanted a mandate. Well the mandate she’s got is lost Conservative seats, lost votes, lost support and lost confidence. I would have thought that is enough for her to go actually.”

The Labour leader added: “I want to send my thanks to everyone who voted for our manifesto and its radical vision for a fairer Britain.

“Our team has worked so hard on this campaign - from door knocking to social media - and it’s great we have won so much support across the country.

“Whatever the final result, our positive campaign has changed politics for the better.”

UKIP were battered at the polls (Image: Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell signalled that Labour would try to form a government at the first opportunity - with the SNP likely to be their main backer in an anti-Tory alliance.

He said: “I think Theresa May actually called a General Election despite promising some seven times not to. And people thought this was unnecessary. And she put party before country.

“I think even some Conservative MPs now consider her position is increasingly untenable.

“I think she has committed a ... political error for her own political career.

“More importantly she has put us through a General Election which was unnecessary. She put party before country and that’s unacceptable.

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“We will form a government at the first opportunity.

“Whenever we get the opportunity we will do. If it’s a minority government we will.”

Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson also predicted that the Tory Prime Minister would not last.

He said: “She is a damaged PM, whose reputation may never recover. People have responded to a positive campaign. People vote for hope.”

Labour has said it will hold Theresa May to her campaign statement that if she lost six or more seats she would no longer be Prime Minister.